1Year Old on Rice Milk- Very Restless at Night

Hi A., my youngest son was also on rice milk due to dairy, soy, and peanut allergies. I faced the same issues and was also concerned about the nutritional value of rice milk alone at age 1. We mixed rice milk with Nutramigen starting at about 14 months old. Until that point, I breastfed.

I would be careful with rice milk - some kinds have a warning label that says not to use in place of infant formula. It is deficient in several key nutrients for a growing baby. I highly recommend Nutramagen - it is very complete and non-allergenic.

My son would not sleep thu the night, ever. We would put him in sleepers (flannel) to keep warm, as he would never stay covered up. Then one day, I thought he was not warm enough at night, so we got an electric mattress pad, and now he sleeps through the night, almost all the time. He used to wake several times during the night, sounded like he was in pain. Since the heating pad, sleeps all night almost every night. We live in central WI, very cold at night.

My son (now five) has been on rice milk since he was 1. He too is allergic to milk (and soy at the time). Does your daughter have inhalant allergies as well? My son was a very restless sleeper until he was 3 when a doctor identified him as an obstructive sleep apnea kid (apparently common with kids who have allergies- since food and inhalant allergies often go together). The doc found that he had adenoid (healthy) tissue 4 times the size they should be. It caused him to sleep shallowly, and not peacefully. They removed them at age 3 and has been a sound restorative sleeper since. Just a thought. Good luck. Happy to stay in contact if you want.

Have you tried goat milk? They sell it at most pick'n'saves.
It is much easier for humans to digest--the proteins are more like a mother's milk.
May be worth a try. I dilute it with rice milk 50:50.

Hi A., I also have an 18 month old on Rice milk. I have not seen alot of problems, but I do buy smart balance margarine and peanut butter, both with omega three mixed in, and he likes having spoonfuls of PB for snacks. I haven't found him to be restless. Send me an email if you want to talk some more. He has been on rice milk since 13 months.

I know someone whose granddaughter was allergic to both cow and soy milk. Goat milk worked very well for them. I don't think rice milk has much going for it nutrition-wise. (High in sugar, low in protein.)

Look for Goat's milk, you can get it @ grocery stores or if you are in a farming/ag area get fresh and boil it first before giving it to a child. It does not produce bacteria inthe ear canal so less ear infections.

My almost-6-year-old was getting rice milk from before he was one until just last fall, so I understand your concern. It's possible that she just needs a bit more protein before bed to fill her stomach and keep her full until morning. Has she always been restless or just until recently? The problem may be completely unrelated to the milk too.

I don't, but my kids have major food allergies, so I know a lot.

Do you think she is restless because she is sensitive to rice, or perhaps because she is hungry.

Rice milk does not have any fat, so a lot of parents with little ones with dual soy-dairy allergies are advised to stay on formula.

Was she on formula? If so, you might want to keep giving her that instead of the rice milk so she gets enough fat in her diet. If not, and you want to start, the best formula that is the most sensitive (but still formula, not neocate) is Alimentum or Nutramigen (if they can tolerate corn.)

My sisters LO is 14 months and still doing formula, but getting bored with the bottle. So, she has been soaking his veggies in Canola or Safflower oil so he gets a little more fat in his diet as he isn't really digging the formula anymore.
Hope that helps.

Sincerely,

M. - Mother and Cookbook Author, 8 Degrees of Ingredients: Mother to Piper 5 (many FA), Theo 2.5 (no FA) and Chester 9 months (many suspeced FA)
www.EightDegreesofIngredients.com

My son was allergic to milk, and I found out, he was allergic to RICE too. Make sure he isnt allergic to that as well. I had a tough time with it. Burp and sooth is a suggestion. He did the soy thing, thank goodness for that, but allergic to alot of other things. Get him fully checked early for less heartache, I didnt know so he suffered for a few months!

Both of my girls drink rice milk. Nither have allergies. They were both nursed until they were one and then we switched to rice milk. Since there is not a lot of fat in rice milk you can add some coconut milk to make it more filling if you think that is the trouble or just try a nightime snack of cereal. My yougest one did not sleep well until she was 11 months, so the switch to rice milk in a cup actually seemed to help. Good luck, it does get better.

How is she allergic to milk? Lactose intolerance is pretty rare in children, you would have known since birht if she were lactose intolerant. What is the 'diagnosis' of her being 'allergic' to milk?

RIce milk is very high in sugar, so chances rae she's hopped up on a sugar high, which is why she can't settle into bed at night.

My oldest has a dairy protein allergy, too much dairy and his skin breaks open in severe eczema, bleeding crusty sores that last for weeks. We keep it under control by limiting his dairy and with routine skin care. For hte most part, we use almond milk for him. Its made from pressed almonds nad is MUCH lower in sugar than rice milk.

Do you feed her solids as well? By this point, she should be eating cereals, and pureed fruits and veggies at the very least...

My son and I are allergic to milk and soy, so I am familiar with this dilema. I will tell you what I have found out through years of trial and error and much research and consultation. The unfortunate thing about rice milk is that it is missing several important nutrients, many of which actually aid the body in calming itself and reduce restlessness! The nutrient I am thinking of are taurine (a protein that calms) and Omega Fatty Acids. (Much more to note, but I am thinking off the top of my head.)It is also high in natural sugar and can easily mimic a sugar high. After consultation, we decided that my son would use Nutramagin (milk and soy free)when I finished breast feeding him until he was one - but it ended up until he was about 1 and a half due to his stubborness and my laziness. After that we begin Almond milk (nutritionist/ naturapthic recommended) as a beverage. He loves it! It has more calcium, less sugar, and more protein. We have had no problems what so ever, well except the usually two year old dilemas. I have to say, I am not a sugar person, so I am effected by sugar when I eat it. When I would drink rice milk it had the same effect on me as eating a candy bar - I felt agitated and as if I had a sugar high! I also felt restless throughout the day. I don't know if your child is experiencing the same thing (we are all so different), but given the nutritional profile of rice milk - it makes sense!
Wishing you the best in the world of food allergies! I tell you - I do not even think about it anymore - it is normal to me!

Hi A.. I have a 15 month old on Rice milk. The rice milk can seem a little watery, not as substantial as say whole milk. So what I do is either give him almond milk at night, or mix almond milk and rice milk. The almond milk is a little heavier, and seems to tie him over.
I will also give him a jar of food before bed sometimes too. He eats solids, but sometimes he plays with more than he eats, which could also be a problem. So I figured if I feed him a jar of food before bed then at least I know he is getting some substance.
If you are trying to stay away from nuts, there is also oat milk, hemp milk, and coconut milk is a good mixer too! :)

I had 2 kids with milk protein allergy and one also had a soy problem. I gave her Nutramigen until she was one and then she did ok with the milk. I disagree with the previous posters that sugar is getting her all hyped up because we are all learning that sugar hyping kids up is a myth. Candy hypes kids up because it's full of artificial colors and flavors which are just chemicals that pollute the brain and cause behavioral problems. I would think the rice milk could also be a problem or else he's just not full enough.
Almond milk is good but be careful because some of it has soy in it - I believe the chocolate does.
Have you ever tried making your own rice milk? It's pretty easy and you can flavor it with fruit. I make it for my daughter who is GF/CF and I'll put a banana in it and she loves it.
I know this isn't what you were asking but are you giving a calcium supplement too? If he's not getting enough calcium that could be causing muscle aches or cramps, especially at night. There are great liquid ones out there. A multi might be needed too. Babies get a lot of nutrition from milk so if they aren't getting milk they need help elsewhere.
Best Wishes,
J.
Mom to 4 and soon one more through another adoption.

I have a 2 year old son and I give him almond milk and oat milk. When I gave him rice milk, his urine had a very strong smell. Rice milk is high in sugar. When I took him off rice milk he Someone told me that is because rice milk is high in sugar. Since I switched to almond and oat milk, he hasn't had any more strong-smelling urine. Pacific Foods is the brand I buy, you can get it at most health/natural food stores.